What is Penn State getting in Neeli Bendapudi? PSU, Louisville faculty talk university president
Penn State professor Gary King, who’s long fought against racism and discrimination, said he’s approaching the appointment of a new university president with “cautious optimism.”
After all, like most faculty, King isn’t entirely sure what to expect from Neeli Bendapudi, the University of Louisville President who will take over for Penn State’s Eric Barron by July 1. Sure, he’s read news articles. He’s spoken to Penn State colleagues. But he’s still not entirely sure what the future holds.
“This appointment represents a sea change in perspective,” said King, who co-authored two detailed reports on racism within Penn State. “And it remains to be seen whether or not this is a sea change in results.”
Making a mark in Louisville
Bendapudi was appointed Penn State’s 19th president on Thursday, making her the university’s first woman and first nonwhite person to be named to the top post. That came after a unanimous vote by Penn State’s board of trustees, catching most of the academic world by surprise — as neither Louisville nor Penn State faculty were largely aware of the appointment 48 hours before becoming official.
Eugene Mueller, a chemistry professor at the University of Louisville, knows the questions King and other Penn State faculty must be asking themselves right now: Is Bendapudi as genuine as she appears? Is she just a used-car salesman? What can the greater community expect from her? As the vice chair for Louisville’s faculty senate, Mueller was in the same situation back in 2018, when Bendapudi was first named Louisville’s president.
And he wanted to share a message for those in Happy Valley asking the same questions.
“I have emailed my friends at Penn State and told them they’re in very good hands,” Mueller said. “Neeli is incredible in her enthusiasm and energy. It’s palpable. It’s contagious. And, after working with her closely, I can say it’s genuine.”
He added: “It’s hard to imagine anyone coming into the (Louisville) job and making as much of an improvement as has been made. There’s still work to do; that’s why we’re — why I’m — so sad she’s leaving.”
The list of pros and cons does seem to skew in favor of the former. In a half-dozen interviews conducted by the Centre Daily Times, numerous accomplishments were listed — turning around a school so troubled financially that its accreditation was at risk, committing to making Louisville the nation’s “premier antiracist university,” acquiring a new hospital and surrounding facilities, supporting the state through COVID-19 testing and vaccinations, boasting the highest enrollment in decades, etc. Even influential U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear lauded her and wished her well.
As for the cons, only two came up more than once. A sports columnist at the (Louisville) Courier-Journal recently criticized her lack of transparency in the athletic department, and some felt she placed too much emphasis on the STEM fields at Louisville while taking other departments, such as those in liberal arts, for granted.
But Mueller and another Louisville faculty member refuted the last two points.
Although Bendapudi recently took criticism for not detailing why one board meeting was closed and why the athletic director’s noncompete clause was waived, both said they’ve largely found Bendapudi to be transparent. Mueller, who also serves on the university’s athletic board, could not share details but intimated she’s forthcoming when she’s able to legally discuss issues. David Schultz, the chair of Louisville’s faculty senate, said he understood the STEM criticism — but said it needs to be taken in context.
Schultz believed the $10 million acquisition of a local hospital (and assets) could’ve skewed people to think more about STEM fields “because those can get external funding.” Plus, he said, Louisville was in a precarious financial position.
Schultz, who said he felt comfortable calling Bendapudi directly, also said he spoke to her specifically about liberal arts — but, given her brief tenure, her bigger picture for Louisville never came fully to fruition. Still, Schultz believed Penn State’s faculty have a lot to look forward to.
“I think they can anticipate a very positive outcome with Neeli as president,” he said. “I think they’ll be really pleased with how engaged she is and how inclusive she is. She is just a very optimistic person, and her enthusiasm is infectious. I think she will be a great fit there.”
Penn State community hopeful for future
Penn State faculty were largely displeased with the presidential selection process, saying it granted them less of a say in the 19th president than it has historically. But many faculty were also still satisfied with the end result.
Bonj Szczygiel, Penn State’s faculty senate chair who has publicly shared concerns over “shared governance,” said Thursday she was “over the moon” with Bendapudi’s appointment.
“Neeli Bendapudi represents all the things that will make Penn State a truly great institution moving forward,” Szczygiel said in a written statement. “She will be (a) representative figure of a more inclusive, diverse community of the 21st century; epitomizing strong female leadership, a recognition of importance and value of unity through diversity, with the noted attributes of compassion and energy. Added to that, she has expressed a keen interest in maintaining and further building economic and community allies throughout the state. Today is a day full of promise and hope at Penn State University and beyond.”
The local chapter for the American Association of University Professors also released a statement Friday, congratulating Bendapudi on her post and approving of the appointment.
“We recognize that Dr. Bendapudi brings to the position a wealth of academic experience and expertise from her education, research, and scholarly achievements to her leadership of the University of Louisville,” the statement read. “Penn State faculty across the state look forward to working with her to strengthen academic freedom and shared governance on all our campuses.”
Few detractors have spoken out against the 58-year-old woman who grew up on the coast of South India, earned her doctorate from the University of Kansas in 1994, and has worked her way up ever since. Penn State senior Erin Boas, the president of the University Park Undergraduate Association, has already spoken with Bendapudi and praised her Thursday during the special trustees meeting — saying she truly cares about students. (Bendapudi was known for giving out her cell number to freshmen during orientation.) Similarly, State College Borough officials appeared to approach the appointment with the same cautious optimism as King.
“I think it’s a bold move on the part of the trustees, and I mean that in a positive way,” said Mayor Ron Filippelli, a retired academic dean. “I’ve never met the woman — this is the first time I’ve read anything about her — but she looks like a really strong candidate. We’ll see, of course, but my first impression is a good one.”
It’s not yet clear exactly when Bendapudi will officially take over. The university has said she’ll assume the role sometime in the spring, while her predecessor is set to retire by July 1, 2022.
It remains to be seen what kind of president she’ll be at Penn State. But faculty appear hopeful — and those at Louisville say such hope isn’t misplaced.
“The majority of (Louisville) faculty will be very positive and have a lot of good things to say about what Neeli accomplished when she was here,” said Schultz, Louisville’s faculty senate chair. “She did a remarkable job of turning around the university. Her accomplishments in such a short period of time are amazing.”
